This Chinese company could become the country’s first to land a reusable rocket.
Heading downrange
At first glance, China’s Zhuque-3 rocket resembles SpaceX’s Falcon 9. But this is just the beginning of a story that could shape China’s space future.
LandSpace's Zhuque-3: A Giant Leap
LandSpace, a burgeoning Chinese rocket startup, is set to launch the Zhuque-3, a medium-lift rocket that could revolutionize China’s space industry. The launch, scheduled for tonight at 11 pm EST (04:00 UTC Wednesday) or noon local time at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, marks a significant milestone.
The Zhuque-3 will be the largest commercial launch vehicle ever flown in China, and LandSpace will become the first Chinese launch provider to attempt a landing of its first stage booster. This ambitious feat mirrors the methods pioneered by SpaceX and Blue Origin in the United States.
The Gobi Desert Landing Pad
Construction crews recently finished a landing pad in the remote Gobi Desert, some 240 miles (390 kilometers) southeast of the launch site at Jiuquan. Unlike US spaceports, the Jiuquan launch base is located in China’s interior, with rockets flying over land as they climb into space. The Zhuque-3 booster will follow an arcing trajectory toward the recovery zone, firing its engines to slow for landing about eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff.
A First Step for China
However, the journey to reusability is not without challenges. LandSpace officials have not disclosed the odds of a successful landing or launch. Blue Origin, a much larger enterprise, took two tries to land its New Glenn booster on a floating barge after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX achieved its first successful landing after many more attempts.
LandSpace's Journey
LandSpace, established in 2015, has raised over $400 million from venture capital firms and investment funds backed by the Chinese government. With this funding, they’ve developed their own liquid-fueled engines and a light-class launcher named Zhuque-2, which became the world’s first methane-burning launcher to reach orbit in 2023. Zhuque-2 has logged four successful missions in six tries.
Competing in a Crowded Field
LandSpace’s broader goal is to develop a larger, partially reusable rocket to meet China’s growing appetite for satellite services. They face competition from China’s legacy state-owned rocket developers and a slate of venture-backed startups.
The Need for Reusability
China needs reusable rockets to keep up with the US launch industry, dominated by SpaceX, which flies more often and hauls heavier cargo to orbit than all Chinese rockets combined. China is deploying at least two megaconstellations in low-Earth orbit, requiring thousands of satellites to relay data and Internet signals around the world. Without scaling up satellite production and reusing rockets, China will struggle to match SpaceX’s capacities.
US Military Concerns
US military officials have identified China’s advancements in reusable rocketry as a key to unlocking the country’s ability to potentially threaten US assets in space. Brig. Gen. Brian Sidari, the Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, expressed concern about China’s rapid progress in reusable lift technology.
The Zhuque-3: A Clone of Falcon 9?
The Zhuque-3 rocket, in its first iteration, will be capable of placing a payload of up to 17,600 pounds (8 metric tons) into low-Earth orbit after accounting for the fuel reserves required for booster recovery. The rocket stands about 216 feet (65.9 meters) tall.
The first stage has nine TQ-12A engines consuming methane and liquid oxygen, producing more than 1.6 million pounds of thrust at full throttle. The second stage is powered by a single methane-fueled TQ-15A engine with about 200,000 pounds of thrust.
The Future of Reusability
LandSpace plans to upgrade the Zhuque-3, increasing its payload capacity to over 40,000 pounds (18.3 metric tons) in reusable mode or a few tons more with an expendable booster. The rocket’s design incorporates elements from SpaceX’s Starship, featuring a primary structure made of stainless steel and methane fuel.
The First of Many
Another reusable booster, the Long March 12A, is undergoing preflight preparations not far from LandSpace’s launch site at Jiuquan. It could fly before the end of this year, but officials haven’t publicized a schedule. The Long March 12A has comparable performance to the Zhuque-3 and will use a cluster of methane-fueled engines.
Competing Startups
Several other Chinese companies are working on reusable rockets, including Space Pioneer, CAS Space, Galactic Energy, and i-Space. These companies are in various stages of development, with some closer to flight readiness than others.
China’s Largest Rocket Developer
China’s largest rocket developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is not as close to fielding a reusable launcher. However, they have far greater ambitions, with a pair of super-heavy rockets in the future, including the Long March 10 and the fully reusable Long March 9 rocket similar in scale to SpaceX’s Starship.
